of the
army to the Government. To Lilburne the one guarantee for good government
was in the supremacy of a Parliament elected by manhood suffrage. He saw
plainly that unless steps were taken to establish democratic institutions
there was no future for the Commonwealth; and he took no part in the trial
of Charles I., saying openly that he doubted the wisdom of abolishing
monarchy before a new constitution had been drawn up.

But Lilburne overestimated the strength of the Leveller movement in the
army, and the corporals who revolted were shot by sentence of
courts-martial.[59]

In vain the democratic troopers argued, "the old king's person and the old
lords are but removed, and a new king and new lords with the commons are in
one House, and so we are under a more absolute arbitrary monarchy than
before." The Government answered by clapping Lilburne in the Tower, where,
in spite of a petition signed by 80,000 for his release, he remained for
three months without being brought to trial. Released on bail, Lilburne,
who from prison had issued an "Agreement of the Free People," calling for
annual parliaments elected by manhood suffrage and the free election of
unendowed church ministers in every parish, now published an "Impeachment
for High Treason against Oliver Cromwell and his son-in-law, James Ireton,"
and declared that monarchy was preferable to a military despotism. At last,
brought to trial on the charge of "treason," Lilburne was acquitted with "a
loud and unanimous shout" of popular approval.[60] "In a revolution where
others argued about the respective rights of King and Parliament, he spoke
always of the rights of the people. His dauntless courage and his power of
speech made him the idol of the mob."[61]

Lilburne was again brought to trial, in 1653, and again acquitted, with
undiminished enthusiasm. But "for the peace of the nation," Cromwell
refused to allow the irrepressible agitator to be at large, and for two
years Lilburne, "Free-born John," was kept in prison. During those years
all power in the House of Commons was broken by the rule of the Army of the
Commonwealth, and Parliament stood in abject submission before the Lord
Protector. Only when his health was shattered, and he had embraced Quaker
principles, was Lilburne released, and granted a pension of 40s. a week.
The following year, at the age of 40, Lilburne died of consumption--brought
on by the close confinement he had suffered. A year later, 1658